This is the highest lighthouse in Spain and it's in Andalucía

There are more than 200 lighthouses in Spain and some of them compete for the title of the tallest in the country. The one in Chipiona, Cadiz province, is considered to be the tallest, at 69 metres, if we are talking about the building alone. However, there is another one, which, despite only actually being 14 metres high, has the highest beacon, not only in the Iberian Peninsula, but in the entire Mediterranean.

It is the Punta de la Polacra lighthouse in Almeria province, which is also known as Torre de los Lobos. It stands 281 metres above sea level as it sits on a cliff, which means that its beacon's range extends more than 30 kilometres out to sea.

 A jewel on the coast of Almeria 

It is one of the jewels of the Almeria coast that is well worth seeing, as evidenced by the number of visitors it receives each year, although to reach it you have to walk up two-kilometre hill. But the height is not the only attraction of this building. Its history and the place where it stands add to its charm.

It stands on the ruins of a watchtower from the time of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim dynasty before the Christian Reconquista at the end of the 15th century. Before the present building there was another watchtower in the 18th century, at a time when pirates and corsairs frequented the coasts of Almeria. As such the lighthouse brings together pieces of many periods of Andalucía's history.

The lighthouse is located in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, which is one of the most unspoilt areas of the Spanish coastline and from this building you can see cliffs, coves and corners of spectacular beauty. Not far away are two other well-known and equally popular lighthouses, Cabo de Gata and Mesa Roldán.

 Inauguration 

The Punta de la Polacra lighthouse as we know it today was inaugurated in 1991, after a process of restoration, when the Almeria Port Authority took over its management. It was also declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 1993.

To visit the lighthouse visitors must leave their cars at a closed gate that leads to a path, which takes at least 20 minutes to reach on foot. The lighthouse is closed to the public as it is still in operation and does not admit visitors. However, access to the area around it is open to the public and it is popular with visitors all year round.

Although it is often overshadowed by other more famous lighthouses in Spain, such as Finisterre or Trafalgar, the Punta de la Polacra lighthouse has a special charm as well as spectacular views over the Mediterranean Sea and Cabo de Gata.